The Importance of Storytelling in Odyssey - Term Paper Example

? The Importance of Storytelling in Odyssey of the World Literature of the Concerned May 9, The Importance of Storytelling in Odyssey There is no denying the fact that the world of Odyssey was a world with no digital connectivity and social media networking. Thereby, the storytelling in Odyssey is in a way a typical hallmark of the Greek society in the sense that storytelling in the Greek times happened to be a salient mode of entertainment. The members of the society affiliated to all status denominations, age and gender listened to stories with rapt attention, and these stories were passed on by them to others through the word of mouth. Thereby, it would not be wrong to say that had it not been for the storytelling in Odyssey, it would have been but a mere story that could be confined to a single page and deprived of any literary accoutrements and importance. The moral achievements and innate reflections of Odysseus passed on to the audience in Odyssey through the fine art of storytelling extend to the audience a larger than life hero to whom they can look up to, a character they can delve in and get inspired by it (Cook, 2007, p. 117). Hence, it is the fine art of storytelling so delicately revelled in Odyssey that created Odysseus to be a man that the future generations could talk about and that happens to be a character that is as relevant in the contemporary times as it was in those times to which the story belongs. Storytelling in Odyssey performs a range of artistic functions like engaging the audience, revealing varied facets of characters, upholding the disguise taken by the characters and ushering in an element of supernatural into the poem. The readers who are new to Odyssey may find a dearth of psychological realism that is much evident in the contemporary works of literature. Though a perusal of Odyssey makes a reader rest in a secure and engrossing experience of delving in the courageous, almost mythical, and engaging wanderings of Odysseus, yet some of the readers may feel that the Homeric notions of hero are much confined to the limits of the stories inherent in the poem, leaving a little scope for the evolution of the character beyond that. However, the thing that needs to be kept in mind is that the storytelling in Odyssey requires a different strategy on the part of the reader, that requires an understanding of the continual and timeless nature of the stories told in the poem, the usage of stories on the part of the poet to contrive a map that establishes a link with the inner emotions and fears of the reader, thereby resorting to a rich and sophisticated way to establish a link with the reader. The other thing is that the relevance and importance of storytelling in Odyssey needs to be correlated in the context of the time and place in which it was contrived. Odyssey is a Greek classic, and the Greeks were astute storytellers. The available Greek literature is replete with the stories of superhuman heroes, gods and goddesses. Many of the Greek stories talk about the magical things that happened when the heroes in the stories came in contact with the mythical creatures and characters. The Greeks revered their heroes, and Odysseus happened to be one of their heroes who had to confine his existence to the Greek notions of storytelling. Thereby, Odyssey, being a continuation of the Greek panache for storytelling, had to adapt itself to the space and the scope offered by the Greek literary conventions, thereby making a rich usage of the art of storytelling and the practice setting stories within stories. The Odyssey written by Homer is the only surviving work that constituted a part of a larger cycle of work called Nostoi (Dougherty, 2008, p. 128). Nostoi talked about the tales of the varied Greek heroes on their way home (Dougherty, 2008, p. 128). Hence, as could be expected of the larger work Odyssey is a part of, storytelling is bound to play a salient and pivotal role in Odyssey. Though in this literary work, Homer, as an outsider and an omniscient narrator, unravels large sections of the story, but Odysseus also narrates a significant part of his adventures and travails in the first person narrative. In that sense, Odysseus comes out as being perhaps the first person narrator in the Western world. Not only Odysseus goes on to tell significant parts of his own story, at varied points in the narrative, but he also goes on to tell stories about his posing as a trader, beggar, etc. In that context, Odysseus comes out as being an astute storyteller, which to a great extent reflects on the kind of hero Homer intended Odysseus to be. Hence, what sets apart Odysseus amongst a range of other Homeric heroes is the fact that he is not merely a master of wonderful deeds but also comes out as a master of engaging words. Hence, the highlight of storytelling in Odyssey is that it brings forth the two characteristics that define a Homeric hero and that are the mastery over words and the capacity to do courageous deeds (Beck, 2005). It was not merely raw courage, but also sharp intelligence that accrued victory for the Greeks in the Trojan War. In that context, Odyssey as a whole is a compilation of different stories. The range includes the tales of the bards, tales of varying other characters of incidental nature, many stories that happened to be explanatory in their scope and perspective, and many reminiscences affiliated to the travails and courage of Odysseus that imbue the entire narrative with ample charm and attraction (Segal, 2007, p. 145). Yet, it also needs to be mentioned that Odysseus is the main storyteller in the story who narrates the biggest tale in the Odyssey. Hence, not only Odysseus happens to be an excellent story teller, he tells his stories in a way that command rapt attention and response from both the other characters in the story and the relatively less responsive audience of today. For instance, when Odysseus intends to halt the narration of his story in Book 11, he is urged forth by Alcinous to carry on with his story, to a large extent thereby giving voice to the aspirations of the contemporary readers going through that part of the story. Also, Odysseus is not only presented by Homer as merely being a hero who is at the same time an astute story teller, but also as a character who really relishes storytelling (Segal, 2007). For when Odysseus is required to conceal his identity in Ithaca in the guise of a beggar, he manages to do so by unravelling a range of long and lengthy stories about himself, which are replete with deceit and disguise. The stories narrated by Odysseus and other characters shed much light on their social, emotional and moral framework. For instance, the very fact that the stories narrated by Odysseus every were to be disparate and different sheds light on the fact that Odysseus is blessed with the capacity for quick thinking and also relishes the role of a storyteller who is able to grab the attention and trust of his listeners by weaving interesting and enticing stories. It is to a great extent owing to his verbal ability that Odysseus is able to win the support of Athene, and it is also primarily his capacity for verbal cunning that ties him to Penelope. In book 23 Penelope tests Odysseus mentally and not physically, considering the trick about Odysseus’ bed, thereby showing to Odysseus that she is also quiet skilful with words like himself, which make them particularly suitable for each other. This also needs to be mentioned that Odysseus’ dexterity with words and his capacity to weave narratives enables him to wriggle out of many tight spots in the narrative (Segal, 2007). Thereby, storytelling in Odyssey is not merely about storytelling, but actually it serves multiple objectives and purposes like attracting the reader’s attention, unravelling varied facets of the characters in the story, and allowing the characters to use it as a ploy to further influence other characters in the story. The tales of wonder and courage emanating from the gifted and somewhat crafty mouth of Odysseus place his character in a different shade to the people he comes across in the poem. In case of the Phaeacians, Odysseus stands to be a great and matchless adventurer who is always ready to engage in acts of courage and bravery. To Telemachus and Eumaeus, he comes forward as being a beggar who stood along and fought with the great hero Odysseus on the shores of Troy. Though Odysseus manipulates his facade enshrined in his stories in consonance with the people he comes across, yet he always manages to eke out a positive response from the people he deals with. The one particular thing that could be left unnoticed by the cursory readers is the fact that many a time there is shown a strong connection between stories and disguise in the Odyssey (Beck, 2005). It is quite evident that Odysseus is replete with instances when the characters resort to disguise, and storytelling serves as a stratagem in the poem to facilitate and hold up these disguises. For instance, the readers know that Odysseus is made to appear in the guise of an old man’ still, it could be that Odysseus resembled many aspects of his actual personality, if only he is not able to camouflage them through astute story telling. It is the capacity of Odysseus to weave fanciful stories about his identity that enables him to hold his disguise in a realistic and believable manner in the story. When it comes to storytelling in Odyssey, one simply could not overlook the roles played by the bards in the poem (Segal, 2007). Odysseus presents two bards in the poem that are Demodocus in Scherie and Phemius in Ithaca. In the Greek society, bards happened to be professional storytellers, whose primary purpose was to entertain people. These stories were presented by the bards in a singsong manner that either pertained to the recent wars like Demodocus telling the story of the wooden horse in Book 1, or delved on the travails and issues faced by gods like Demodocus singing of Aphrodite and Ares. In Odyssey bards are shown to be given a choice in the selection of stories they told like Penelope allowing Phemius in Book 1 to sing about the topic of his choice. This alluded to the Greek belief that bards were moved by gods and the higher powers. Hence, if one considers storytelling in Odyssey in the context of the bards, it made way for the introduction of the element of supernatural and divine intervention in the poem, thereby imparting an aura of mysteriousness to the story. The stories as sung by bards build upon multiple layers of interest in the poem that keep the readers bewitched and hooked. Hence, it goes without saying that a serious reader of Odyssey simply could not miss the magic of storytelling in the poem. Though in the first four books Odysseus tends to be absent, still it is through storytelling that the reader manages to get information about Odysseus and other returning heroes. Hence, before a reader comes face to face with the character of Odysseus, one manages to get much information about him through a range of stories being told about him. Hence, Odyssey to a great extent is a presentation of the great art of storytelling. It would certainly not be wrong to say that storytelling in Odyssey performs varied functions like engaging the reader attention, extending information about the absent characters, serving as a file for hiding the identity of the characters in disguise and extending an element of supernatural and divine intervention in the story. Reference List Beck, D. (2005). Odysseus: Narrator, Storyteller, Poet? Classical Philology, 100(3), 213-227. Cook, E.F. (2007). The Odyssey in Athens. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. Dougherty, C. (2008). The Raft of Odysseus. New York: Oxford University Press. Segal, C. (2007). Singers, Heroes and Gods in the Odyssey. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. Read More